Firefly
by Seph07
Summary: It is said that Winglies are like fireflies.  There is but one mate for every Wingly, fated to spend the rest of their lives together.  It is also said that when a star falls during the birth of a prince, the soul of a great king of man is reborn.
1. Chapter 1

**F I R E F L Y**

Chapter 1

Disclaimers: Legend of Dragoon and all other related characters, events, etc. do not belong to me.

Chapter Notes: Chapter 1 takes place before the Dragon Campaign, 11,000 years before the game storyline. How Lloyd got to that point, you will have to read and find out in succeeding chapters. For now, please enjoy my first take on Legend of Dragoon fiction. :)

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_It is said that Winglies are like fireflies. There is but one mate for every Wingly, two beings fated to spend the rest of their lives together. And should they fail to find the one, they wait and linger until their lights burn out._

_It is also said that the stars are the souls of the great kings of man. There are those who believe that when a star falls during the birth of a prince, the soul of a great king of the past is reborn._

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Lloyd entered the great hall, his strides long and confident; he held his head high as he made his way to the throne room. The other soldiers quickly straightened their postures and saluted the general as he passed, receiving only a curt nod of recognition. Lloyd had just returned from a month-long mission to quell a human uprising near their northern borders. It had taken longer than expected to subdue the rebelling humans, and Lloyd wished nothing more than to retire in his own home—he was never fond of useless formalities. He did what was asked of him, and he did it well, he had no real reason to be there. However, Lord Melbu Frahma had explicitly asked for his presence as soon as he had arrived.

The human slaves manning the massive double doors to the throne room immediately hauled the doors open as the Wingly general walked through briskly, only stopping to kneel when he was directly in view of Melbu Frahma. The Wingly Lord sat on his throne, his chin resting on his hand as a small smile crept to his lips. "General, I have heard great news of your success. I am truly proud to have such a fine Wingly to lead my army." He gestured to Lloyd languidly with his free hand, "rise general, there is a matter in particular which I wish to discuss with you."

Lloyd had kept his head bowed low even when his lord had complimented him, but slowly stood straight and removed his helmet, tucking it under an arm, when he was ordered to rise. "I am honoured at your compliment my lord, but I have only done that which I have been ordered to do." Again, that strange smile made its way to Melbu Frahma's lips. "Ah general, you are as efficient as ever. I am pleased."

The general tried his best to keep a straight face. He was exhausted and this meeting with the Wingly Lord seemed to drag on pointlessly. The sound of Melbu Frahma's palms clapping together snapped Lloyd from his thoughts and he looked up with a questioning look. As if to answer the unspoken question, Melbu Frahma motioned to one of the soldiers who took leave at once. There was a moment of silence between the lord and general before muffled sounds could be heard from outside the throne room. With his sharpened hearing, Lloyd picked up the sound first, but he ignored it. Soon, the sound became louder and louder until it escalated to an unabashed tirade of insults against Wingly kind.

The throne room doors opened once more and three soldiers entered. One held a chain tightly wound around his forearm and the other two, restraining a bound human between them. The man's bound hands were linked to the chain held by the first soldier and he looked dishevelled, blonde hair matted and strewn this way and that. Lloyd scowled at the sight and more so as the bound man started mouthing off again about equality and all that garbage he had heard from his earlier mission. He had no time for this. "My lord—"

Melbu Frahma raised his hand to silence both Lloyd and the man, the general held his tongue and the soldiers hit the bound man in the face to make him stop his tirade. The blonde man doubled over and coughed blood, staining the white marble of the throne room's floor. Lloyd's frown deepened. "My soldiers captured this man during your campaign up in the northern borders. Strong of build, and resilient in spirit..." Melbu Frahma trailed off, looking with amusement as the general's frown deepened all the more.

"My lord, I do not understand how anything pertaining to this man may concern me in any way." Lloyd tried to keep his tone respectful, though his voice sounded strained even to his own ears. The Wingly Lord gestured for the soldiers to bring the man forward, they did so, in a manner rougher than what was reasonably necessary. Melbu Frahma rose from his throne and stepped down until he stood between the general and the soldiers restraining the blonde man.

The soldiers quickly bowed their heads, but the man in chains only straightened himself and glared at the Wingly Lord with murderous brown eyes. Melbu Frahma gripped the man's chin tightly in a vice like grip, the man's eyes went wide, his mouth suddenly dry—a strange fear overcoming his earlier violent resistance. "I believe he will make a fine slave..." The lord continued, keeping his grip on the man. "And as I have too many than I should care to count, I would like for you to have him."

Lloyd's head jerked up in surprise, had he just heard his lord right? He shook his head involuntarily, but the blonde man broke the silence that followed first. He struggled violently against his chains as he tore his face away from the vice-like grip. "I shall die before I become a slave! You worthless Winglies! You have neither respect nor dignity—a disgrace to all of Soa's creation!" The soldier holding the chain backhanded the man with unrestrained force, his neck snapped back and more blood spattered on the white marble. "Silence! Human swine!"

The general narrowed his eyes, it was the first time he had heard such words spoken to Melbu Frahma himself—by a man, no less. This man was neither afraid of Winglies nor of death. Melbu Frahma began speaking again as if there had been no rude interruption, "It has come to my knowledge that you keep no slaves of your own. It is rather unbecoming of a general to have no one to attend to his home and to labor for him, which is why I wish for you to keep this man." He gave the blonde man another look. "That and it would be a great waste if he should be sent to the slave market—one does not come across such a face very often, both on man or Wingly. A shame it has to come with a mouth as foul as his species."

Lloyd remained silent, his thoughts consuming him. He had no interest in keeping human slaves, unlike the rest of his race. Even the lowliest of Winglies had a human slave to do his work for him. Lloyd preferred being alone, he liked to keep to himself and disliked humans in general; he found no real reason to keep a human slave. He snapped back to reality when the man attempted to begin mouthing off again, but this time Melbu Frahma had had enough. "I tire of your useless words human." He gave Lloyd a look. "If you do not take him general, I shall give him to the soldiers. A waste, yes, but with a mouth so foul—I may have no second thoughts about it."

"Wingly filth!" The sound of metal against flesh resounded in the throne room again, and without thinking, Lloyd growled, "Enough." Melbu Frahma raised his brows slightly and the soldiers visibly stiffened. "I will take the slave, but I do not want him any more damaged than he already is—lest he be useless." Lloyd was surprised at his own words. The silence that followed affirmed the surprise of both the soldiers and even the Wingly Lord himself.

"Then it is settled, give the general his slave and you may take your leave." Melbu Frahma motioned to the soldiers who looked more than relieved to finally be rid of the troublesome human. They were almost certain that the human would be dead soon, given that he was to become the general's first slave. Lloyd was well known by his men not only for his intelligence and near god-like swordsmanship, but also for his temper. The general was quiet and spoke rarely, but his sword spoke for him when he was in one of his darker moods.

The soldier passed the chain to the general, keeping it taut. "He is a feisty one sir." Lloyd only nodded in response as he wound the chain around his armoured forearm, loosening the chain slightly. Surprisingly, the man had been silent throughout the exchange. His head was now bowed low as if he was resigned or was finally thinking coherently.

"Are you pleased with my gift general?" Melbu Frahma's tone was amused—mocking even, as he again sat down on his throne, his fingers forming a steeple as he spoke. Lloyd made a low bow, "I am my lord, I am most grateful for this gift." The Wingly Lord nodded in approval. "I have kept you long enough; I can see that you are weary from your campaign. Again, I am pleased general. You may take your leave."

Lloyd raised his head and wore his helmet before turning to leave. He walked briskly, ignoring the surprised looks from soldiers and slaves alike as he left, a chained human trailing behind him—obviously struggling to keep up with the general's pace.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The Wingly pinched the bridge of his nose, a habit which clearly indicated his displeasure at any given situation. The general had a headache from having to use too many teleporters than what he was used to. He would normally have flown straight home—something he could not do with the human in tow. They had to pass through too many teleporters to reach his home. He traced a small sigil on a glass panel beside the door before it opened.

The human followed gingerly behind him, the chain was lax and it surprised the general that he had not spoken a word since he was backhanded back in the castle. Too tired to care, the general dropped the chain to the floor. "I expect you have enough sense to know who I am and what would happen should you try to attempt anything." Lloyd even went so far as to turn his back on the blonde. Again, the human did not stir but merely kept his head low, but keen brown eyes were wide under the mess of blonde hair. There was an unfamiliar fear that had crept up his spine when he heard the general agree to keep him—it was this fear that stayed his tongue and made his legs feel like lead beneath him.

Suddenly annoyed at the lack of a response, Lloyd faced the slave again. "Do you have a name, human?" Again, there was no response. The general gripped the man's chin with his gloved hands and forced him to look up, his cold blue eyes meeting with wide brown ones. "I do not like repeating myself." The brown eyes widened even more as the man tried to step away from the general, but it was no use—the grip on his face too firm to fight.

"A-Alber—eth..." The blonde's voice cracked as he spoke and he averted his eyes, afraid that the cold and unyielding eyes of the general would see his fear that was becoming harder and harder to conceal.

"Albereth." Lloyd let the name roll on his tongue, a smirk playing on his lips. "So you do know fear... I had nearly thought otherwise the way you carried on in the presence of Lord Melbu Frahma." An indignant looked crossed Albereth's face and he bit out, "I am not afraid of Melbu Frahma." The Wingly's smirk widened into his version of a smile, "Then that must mean you are afraid of me." The slave shook his head, "I am not afraid."

"You are a terrible liar." Lloyd nearly chuckled in amusement as he took out a small key and began to unlock Albereth's shackles. The man looked on in surprise, was the general so confident that he would dare unlock his only remaining restraints without fear of what Albereth might do to him? But when the shackles came loose and fell to his feet, Albereth could not bring himself to do anything—he sighed. The general was right, the Wingly knew it before he had realized it himself—he was afraid of the general... of this man called Lloyd, and he did not understand why.

A sinking feeling welled up in his chest as the reality of the situation dawned on him. "I am a slave..." Albereth thought out loud and the fear he felt made itself known with renewed vigor. He suddenly felt weak in the knees and he struggled to remain upright. Lloyd too was lost in contemplation, he had never kept a human slave and had no knowledge with what to do with one. They remained standing in silence across one another in what seemed to be the receiving area of the Wingly's home.

It was Lloyd's voice that finally broke the silence. "I have never kept a human slave, and I do not know what to do with you." The general was frank as he shook his head, as if dismayed at having to deal with Albereth—which was not entirely untrue. "I am exhausted and I wish to retire. There is a spare room further down the hallway to the right, you may take that as your own." The wingly rubbed the back of his neck as he headed to a teleporter pad which Albereth assumed led to another part of the house. The blonde stared back at him blankly, as if afraid to move from where he seemed to be rooted.

"Take your belongings and you may take your leave Albereth, I will see you in the morning." Lloyd waved dismissively, but he suddenly stopped when he took a good look at his new "slave"—even the word sounded foreign to him.

Albereth had dirty blonde hair which was haphazardly tied back, his face was gaunt but it showed prominent cheekbones which emphasized keen brown eyes which now looked as exhausted as his own. Lloyd stepped closer to the man and realized that he was a good head taller than him and that the man looking even thinner beside his armoured form. His eyes trailed on the bare burlap sack Albereth was wearing and he frowned, lips drawn into a thin line.

There was also the painful lack of "belongings"—seeing as the blonde had nothing but the sack, his bare feet wounded, swollen, and dirty on the cold marble. The general shook his head, the slave would not last a night in Kadessan winter. Albereth shied away from Lloyd's eyes, trying to somehow make himself smaller. His fear of this wingly felt very strange to him, for he was not afraid of even Melbu Frahma—but this general, this wingly called Lloyd almost made his blood run cold.

"Follow me." The blonde had no time to register the order before a gloved hand grabbed his wrist almost painfully, the skin raw from the shackles. Lloyd led him to a teleporter pad by the hallway which led to the said spare room and light automatically glowed from the lamps inside. It was a simple wingly bedroom, with a single bed in the middle, a closet by the left wall, and a wardrobe beside the closet. A fireplace was by the right wall. It was obvious that no one had ever used it, but it was surprising that it wasn't dusty.

Without saying a word, Lloyd went over to the closet and looked over several clothes before removing a number of them and handing them to Albereth who looked mildly surprised, having no idea what was happening. "Use them to keep warm tonight. Winter in Kadessa is cruel," the wingly paused, "especially to your kind." Albereth bit his lip, the cold suddenly biting through to his bones and he shivered slightly—as if the cold came with the realization.

The soldiers had taken his clothing and had dressed him in the burlap sack he now wore, like all slaves to be sold in the slave market. However, he had caught the eye of a captain who tried to keep him—but Melbu Frahma owned all spoils of war, and he deemed Albereth more suitable for someone of the highest position. He shivered again. The plains of Serdio, where he was from, rarely experience this kind of cold, even in winter. Then again, he had warm clothes back home, and a cozy fireplace... and a family... Albereth closed his eyes to forget. He steeled himself, before him was the man who had led the soldiers that deprived him of all of that.

Lloyd raised an eyebrow at Albereth's silence. "Well?" Albereth looked up, the bundle in his hands. "Thank you... Master." The blonde bit out the last word, but he made himself say it. The first time he had refused to say it when he was first captured ended in a beating that left him unconscious and nearly dead, and that was in the hands of mere soldiers. The general was taken aback but did not show it, he merely nodded and turned to leave. "As I have said earlier, you know who I am and what I do—I trust you are not so stupid as to attempt anything." Albereth swallowed the forming lump in his throat and nodded before the general disappeared from the teleporter pad, leaving him alone in the room.

Albereth placed his "new belongings" carefully on the wingly bed and ran his calloused fingers through the soft fabrics. He had never had such fine clothes, not even at home. The rich fabrics were soft and warm to the touch, and he quickly changed into one of them. It was a long sleeved tunic that was obviously too big for him and reached to just above his knees. He found a large, velvet cape with a coat of arms of sorts embroidered skilfully upon it. Albereth wound it around himself to keep warm.

It was only then that he realized that there was no fire in the fireplace, and unless he started one, he would most likely freeze to death. Winter in Kadessa was truly as frightful as the escaped slaves had described it—cruel and unforgiving. With nearly numb fingers, Albereth searched through the remains of coal and ash to find a flint or some matches, but there was none. "This is a wingly's house, stupid!" Albereth berated himself, realizing that winglies had no need for flint or matches as they had magic by which to light their own fires.

Resigned to his fate of a fireless night, Albereth gathered the remaining of the clothes which he was not wearing, laid them out on the floor, and arranged them to make a make-shift mattress. There was no way he could possible sleep on one of those wingly beds, they swayed liked hammocks and made him feel sick. Once his make-shift mattress was made, Albereth bonelessly collapsed on it—the exhaustion from the day's events finally washing over him like a tidal wave.

Burrowing into the clothes as best he could, sleep finally claimed him.

Unfortunately, the same could not be said of the general. Lloyd tossed and turned in his bed, but he could not fall asleep. Perhaps it was the uneasy feeling of someone else in his house—years of living alone had made him so sensitive to his surroundings that he instantly knew if someone else was in his home. Now there was a stranger... a human slave in his home, and it made him feel ill at ease. Giving up his useless struggle with sleep which eluded him, Lloyd found himself padding along the hallway to the teleporter which led to Albereth's room. He had the nagging feeling to check up on the human, he might already by starting to hatch some murderous plot—one can never be too careful with that species, they were too smart for their own good.

Upon beaming into the room, he noticed the curled and shivering bundle of clothes by the empty fireplace. Silver eyebrows furrowed, wondering why the human had decided to sleep on the floor instead of the bed. A wave of sympathy—a rare emotion for him—washed over the general as he traced a sigil in the air before the wood and coal in the fireplace crackled slightly to life. After a while, the room had warmed up and the bundle had stopped shivering. Satisfied that the human wasn't planning anything sinister, at least for tonight, Lloyd left the room as quietly as he'd come—unaware of the doe eyes which followed him as he left.

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I have been playing with this idea in my head for a while now and only attempted to put it into writing today. I am intent on continuing this, but comments, reviews, and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. :)

Thank you for reading my first chapter, and if you enjoyed it, please drop me a line. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**F I R E F L Y**

Chapter 2

Disclaimers: Legend of Dragoon and all related characters, events, etc. do not belong to me.

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Lloyd woke up with a start, his hand gripping the hilt of the dagger almost painfully, its blade instantly pressed against a white neck. Albereth froze, blood beginning to trickle down the new wound from the thin blade pressed to his neck. He instinctively clutched at his neck as he stumbled backward, fear clouding his senses. "I- the door... there is someone a-at the door, f-forgive my intrusion!" The panic in Albereth's voice was palpable as he all but ran to the teleporter pad which led away from the general's room.

The Wingly quickly withdrew his dagger as the fog of sleep wore off. He was woken by hands upon him and by instinct, he had grabbed the weapon he kept under his pillow and nearly killed the human. Lloyd frowned as he sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before turning to the human who almost cowered in the corner—seemingly frozen from indecision whether to run away or remain in the room.

Albereth felt the blood trickle down his fingers and he clutched at the wound tightly, but he kept his head bowed low—expecting to be beaten. The general rose from his bed, stretching slightly, before he padded across the room to where Albereth was. Lloyd put a hand under the human's chin and firmly lifted it to see the damage he had done. A long thin wound revealed itself, blood slowly tricking from it—though it was not as deep as he had thought. A feeling of strange relief washed over the Wingly, he was quite certain that had Albereth come a little closer, he would be dead by now.

"It is not that deep, but I will send for someone to clean you up." Lloyd stood up and began to put on his boots, ignoring the surprise in Albereth's eyes. "It is best that you announce your presence before coming to my chambers. I am so used to being alone in this house and the next time this happens, you might not be so fortunate." Albereth nodded weakly, the fear in his gut threatening to spill over like the blood that now stained the white tunic he wore. "Forgive my intrusion Master, I... I did not know what to do. There is still—someone at the door..." The blonde whispered almost inaudibly.

Lloyd nodded as he grabbed a thin wrist with his large hand before stepping on the teleporter. Albereth felt light headed, all this teleportation made him feel sick—he didn't think he'd ever get used to it. The general wordlessly walked to the front door, Albereth in tow, and again traced a sigil on the glass panel before it opened.

A Wingly woman stood outside, her long platinum hair tied back with a bright ribbon. She was accompanied by two human slaves. The woman smiled at Lloyd, "good morning general, it is nice to see that you've returned safely from your campaign." The general responded with his version of a smile. "Thank you Sophie, forgive the delay—I slept heavier than usual." Lloyd stepped aside to let the Wingly woman and her slaves enter.

Sophie's eyes went wide as her blue eyes rested on Albereth's thin form hiding behind Lloyd. "Well, this is a surprise general. In all my years of service, I've not seen you take a slave of your own." Albereth stepped back again, wanting nothing more than to hide in his master's shadow. Before Lloyd could respond, Sophie had walked over to the blonde and had begun scrutinizing him.

Albereth felt a gentle but firm hand lift his head and he obliged, enjoying the gentleness of the touch. "A beautiful face... and a strong spirit, I can see it in your eyes boy. A fighter." The wingly woman smiled as the blonde's cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "A fine choice—must have cost a healthy sum, this one." Lloyd cleared his throat as he stood between Sophie and Albereth, as if to hide him. "I did not buy him."

"Oh? Did you steal him?" Sophie's eyes twinkled with mischief as her smile widened even more. The general shook his head, almost embarrassed. "I did no such thing. He was a gift." Albereth shifted uncomfortably, he did not enjoy being talked about—especially when he was right there. "Such a fine gift... may I be so bold to ask from whom?" Lloyd rubbed the back of his neck, another habit that belied his distress. "The Lord Melbu Frahma gave him to me... a reward for my campaign by the northern border."

"A free man of the plains of Serdio..." Sophie's words made Albereth cringe, tears began to sting in his eyes. Yes, that's what they were called... the free men of Serdio—but he was no longer one of them. He was a slave—the slave of the general no less. Shame, anger, and despair welled up in Albereth's chest and he bowed his head to hide the tears that began to slip down his cheeks.

Sophie's blue eyes widened and she looked sincerely apologetic. "Forgive me general, I seem to have upset him so... I did not mean to." The wingly woman cupped Albereth's face and wiped the tears from his cheeks. "I am sorry dear boy, I apologize." The blonde bit his lip, he had never met a Wingly who would apologize as freely and as openly to a human as this Wingly woman had to him, and it made him feel a little better.

Lloyd looked unfazed. "He was only captured yesterday." Sophie nodded, "I see. Then shall I bring him with me to town after we are done here? I will have him groomed... and perhaps have a little chat with your boy—he intrigues me so." The general was reluctant, not that he wanted to keep Albereth, but because Sophie was a woman and Albereth could easily escape from her. It will be great trouble if he had to tell the Lord Melbu Frahma that he had lost his slave within a day.

"I shall leave him here while I attend to my duties in the morning. I shall be back around noon, then I shall accompany you both to town." The general gave Albereth a stern look. "I expect you treat the lady with respect Albereth." The blonde nodded, his eyes fixed on a spot on the floor. Sophie nodded in acquiesce as she took the blonde's thin hand in hers. "May I keep him in my company till then?" Lloyd shrugged, "Do as you wish, I shall see you at noon." With that, the general returned to his chambers, presumably to prepare to go to the castle.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

"If I had my way boy, I would have you set free... I can see the fire in your eyes and feel the heat of your spirit—you do not belong here." Sophie spoke freely as she took a seat on the couch in Lloyd's drawing room. Albereth remained standing awkwardly by the side of the couch, refusing to sit beside the lady, though she had repeatedly requested that he do so.

"I am the general's oldest friend... and housekeeper—and between you and me, I am his governess." Sophie's laughter chimed softly. "If it makes you feel any better, you should know that I am opposed to keeping human slaves." Albereth stiffened, "And yet you keep human slaves of your own. I am not blind Wingly, nor am I stupid."

"Oh, so he speaks!" Sophie smiled warmly, unfazed by his bitter remark. "I am a Wingly and I have appearances to keep—but the slaves I have in my care are precious to me." Albereth snorted involuntarily at what he perceived to be a blatant lie. "I understand your anger, human... I have seen it and heard of it many times... so many times from my children." The blonde spat angrily. "No Wingly can understand! You lie most gracefully my lady, but tread carefully as I might not be able to control myself." Sophie shook her head, "I am not afraid of death boy... I have died long ago. Long, long ago." The Wingly woman walked away, teleporting elsewhere, leaving Albereth alone to soothe his own anger.

Another beam of light indicated that someone had teleported into the drawing room and Albereth raised his eyes to meet warm ones belonging to one of Sophie's human slaves. The girl smiled softy and approached him without fear. "My name is Adriana." "Albereth." The blonde replied, noting how a slave could seem so happy and at peace. "You belong to the lady?" Adriana gave a lilting giggle, "to keep up appearances, yes, I "belong" to Lady Sophie... but she actually saved me and my sister from the slave market. In reality I feel as if she has adopted us, she cares for us and clothes us and does not force us to work." Albereth's mouth ran dry. Never had he imagined that Winglies were capable of such kindness.

Adriana smiled, understanding the blonde's dumbfounded silence. "I understand how you feel, we never believed it was possible... up until Lady Sophie tried to set us free—tried to bring us back home to Tiberoa. She was caught by the soldiers at the border and we thought we were all condemned to die... but we were saved by the general." Albereth shook his head. It was all too much. He had been brought up hating the Winglies for what they had done to mankind... it was just not possible—there must be a reason behind such false kindness.

"I know it is hard to understand, but perhaps... you can give our Lady Sophie a chance to show you that they are not all evil. I stay with her not because I have to, but because I choose to. Lady Sophie is my mother now and I have grown to love her. Maybe someday you will learn to love your master too." Adriana gave him a parting smile before she beamed out of the drawing room.

Albereth laughed to himself quietly. He raised his fingertips to the dried blood caked on his neck—it was a bitter reminder of who he was and what he was supposed to do.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Lloyd crossed his legs impatiently, the supposed grooming was taking longer than he had expected. Then again, the blonde had looked filthy when they brought him in. Sophie had gone ahead to purchase suitable clothes after she had taken Albereth's measurements and had left him at the groomers, where Lloyd was presently waiting for him.

Albereth frowned as he was stripped and made to sit in a tub of soapy water, rough hands scrubbing him in parts that weren't supposed to be touched by anyone else. He felt absolutely violated. The human slaves which scrubbed him down kept their eyes down as they did their work almost mechanically. Albereth heard Winglies talking in the background, something along the lines of "be careful or the general's going to have your head." He cringed.

Finally he was asked to stand and he was towelled dry before he heard a familiar voice calling out to him. "Lady Sophie" Albereth greeted as he tried gingerly to cover his stark nudity. "Well well well, looks like we found a diamond in the rough eh?" Sophie said proudly to the Wingly shop-keeper as she regarded the blonde. Albereth's hair looked golden after a good wash, and the dirt and grime that clung to him since the day he was captured were washed away, leaving a large expanse of almost healthy pink skin. "A beauty, this one. The general must have spent a fortune for him." The shop-keeper replied as he regarded his handiwork.

"He was a gift from the Lord Melbu Frahma himself. Can you believe it?" Sophie whispered mischievously. The shop-keeper's eyes widened in pleasant surprise, "Ahh, so that's the reason why the general has taken a human slave. I never thought I'd see the day that he would, seeing how he has managed without one for so long." Albereth frowned, here he was again being talked about while he was there.

Sophie placed a hand gently on his arm and handed him a package wrapped in brown paper and tied with red string. "Here, try these on... I picked them out myself." Albereth accepted the package with a quiet "thank you" as he excused himself to change in the backroom. "Such a beautiful boy, but painfully shy—and has quite a temper on him." Sophie laughed to the shop-keeper. "Reminds you of someone doesn't he?" They shared a good laugh before Albereth emerged from the back room.

Albereth shifted uncomfortably, the deep green tunic and the snug fitting pants he now wore made him feel a little over-dressed. Sophie broke into a wide smile. "They fit you perfectly! I am quite pleased." The lady elbowed the shop-keeper for approval, which he gave with an amused grin. The sound of someone clearing his throat caught their attention and they turned almost simultaneously as Lloyd entered the room.

Albereth bowed low, the shop-keeper excused himself, and Sophie merely nodded in his direction. "What do you think? Good, yes?" Lloyd felt a small smile tug at the corner of his lips as he looked at Albereth—he did look good, much better when he had first brought him home. Instead, the general nodded in quiet approval. "May I take him home now? I have a war meeting to attend tonight. I cannot be late." Sophie clicked her tongue as he handed a few more brown paper packages to Albereth. "We get him new boots and then we're done for the day."

Lloyd nodded his thanks as he handed the shop-keeper a small bag of gold. Albereth expressed his gratitude before following behind the general.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The walk home was cold, but his new clothes kept Albereth warm. He drew up the hood of the cloak Lloyd had given him the night before, he had taken an immediate liking to it and insisted on wearing it even if it was too big for him. The general likewise drew the hood of his own cloak, though he seemed generally unaffected by the bitter cold.

They passed by a small park near the general's house and Albereth stopped abruptly when she saw a human girl selling odds and ends in a corner, obviously suffering from the bitter cold. Albereth's heart ached, he wanted to help—he wanted to give her money but he had none. He had nothing to give and he felt a deep sorrow inside him as he looked at the girl sadly.

Lloyd heard the steady pace of the footsteps behind him stop and he turned to look what was keeping Albereth. He understood at once, but he had no time for this—he had seen too much suffering to bring himself to care. He grabbed Albereth's wrist roughly with a gloved hand and tugged him forward. "Come, we have no time." But for the first time since he was given to the general, Albereth refused.

The blonde tried to pull his wrist back, "no.. please, I..." Albereth looked at the wingly with pleading eyes. "I wish to help... I will not ask for anything more." Lloyd gave a low grunt in his throat to show his displeasure but figured it would get him home sooner. The general towered over the young girl who did not bother to try and hide her fear of the tall Wingly. Blue eyes scanned over the various odds and ends until they rested on a long viridian ribbon. He picked it up and held it against Albereth's golden hair, "it suits you... do you wish to have it?" Barely recognizing what was said to him, Albereth nodded his head at once.

Lloyd placed a handful of gold in the girl's hand, obviously much more than the cost of the ribbon he bought, before briskly walking away without a word. Albereth smiled at the little girl before he ran to keep up with his owner, the satin ribbon feeling unusually warm in his hand.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

I had to make more introductions just to get the setting right, but things are bound to happen in the next chapter. :)

Please read and review! Reviews are greatly appreciated. :)

Seph


	3. Chapter 3

**F I R E F L Y**

Chapter 3

Disclaimers: Legend of Dragoon and all related characters, events, etc. do not belong to me.

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Albereth got up from his make-shift mattress as soon as the sun struck his window—he has been getting up at this hour like clockwork for the past month he had been living in Lloyd's home. The blonde rubbed the sleep from his eyes and made his way to the teleporter which led to the general's chambers.

Lloyd was already up and was stretched languidly by his windowsill, clad only in his black pants. "Good morning." The general's greeting was short as Albereth beamed into his chambers. "Good morning sir." The blonde replied as he made his way to the general's closet and retrieved one of Lloyd's gilded vests. He held it up and waited for the Wingly to stand up and stretch muscular arms before he slipped the vest on and tied it closed at the waist. The blonde went to retrieve the general's knee high boots from beside the door and fastened them securely when Lloyd slipped them on.

This had become their unspoken morning ritual. Albereth would come to the general's chambers as soon as he woke up and help the Wingly get dressed. They hardly spoke, but there was a comfortable silence between them—a quiet understanding, or perhaps a mutual awkwardness that neither tried to dispel. When they were done, Lloyd loosely held the blonde's wrist in his now gloved hand and guided him to the teleporter. They slowly walked to the front door where they stood in silence.

"Albereth—there is something I wish to discuss with you." Lloyd began as he put on his cloak. "You have been with me for a month and I trust... that... well—I trust you enough to give you this." The Wingly handed Albereth the choker with the circular pendant engraved with a hexagram on it which he always wore. "This is my seal, with it you can enter and leave the house at will. You may also purchase what you wish with it, and—most importantly, it will protect you. No one in Kadessa will touch you as long as you wear it. It shows that..." Lloyd trailed off as if unsure of how to word his next statement.

"It shows that I am yours." Albereth finished for him, his voice a little hushed as his fingers closed around the pendant. "Yes, well I must be going. You do understand—" Lloyd closed his larger hand around Albereth's which enclosed the pendant. The blonde visibly stiffened at the unfamiliar contact—it had felt strangely intimate. "I understand sir, thank you." Lloyd pulled his hand away and drew his cloak over his head. "I shall be home for supper, I expect you home by then." And with that he was gone, leaving Albereth to his thoughts.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Albereth pulled his cloak tighter around him, the weather was more unforgiving today, and snow had just begun to fall. He knew this had been a mistake, what was he thinking leaving the house—he had no idea where anything was... or where Sophie lived, which was the main reason why he even left the house in the first place. That... and perhaps a part of him wanted to know where Lloyd went everytime he left the house like clockwork.

The wind blew harshly against him and snow flew in his eyes. Albereth squinted as he continued to walk forward blindly until he collided with something—or someone. "What the-!" An armoured hand shot up and grabbed the front of Albereth's cloak roughly, pulling the smaller blonde to his feet. Cold cerulean eyes stared him down, the Wingly's mouth curled into an angry frown. "I can have your head for that, slave!"

Angered at the insult, Albereth pulled himself free and stood his ground. "I am no slave! Let me be Wingly, you have no right over me!" A sharp backhand caused the blonde's head to snap back, but he steadied himself. "You will learn to hold your tongue, human scum, or I shall cut it out for you." The Wingly soldier towered over the blonde and lifted him off the ground with one hand by the front of his cloak. Albereth spit at the Wingly, all the anger and spite he felt suddenly filling his chest. He thrashed and kicked and twisted under the soldier's grasp but to no avail. "Such a waste. Perhaps I should buy you off of your master so that I might put that foul mouth to better use."

"A generous offer, but I'm afraid his owner is not interested." A familiar voice rung through over the howl of the wind. A slender figure came into view, a furred hood over the woman's head, but Albereth knew who she was. "My lady—"

"Lady Sophia, you know of this slave?" The Wingly soldier's tone immediately changed as he bowed his head, letting Albereth's feet touch the ground, but his hold on the blonde remained firm. "Yes and I would greatly appreciate it if you would unhand him, the general will not be pleased that you have marred his property." The soldier's face blanched at the mention of the general, he swallowed hard at the lump in his throat, his hand falling limp to his side—releasing his hold on the human. "The general... he—he keeps no slaves..."

"Ah, but he is a gift from the High Lord himself... but—it is most unfortunate what you did to his face. The general will not like this at all." Sophie clicked her tongue as she ran her gloved fingers over the bluish bruise beginning to show on Albereth's flushed cheek. The soldier stiffened under Sophie's cobalt gaze, fear making itself known in his gut. He did not want to be on the receiving end when the general was in one of his dark moods. "Forgive me—it was my mistake."

"Yes, a very bad one at that. I shall be taking him now. Be sure that it doesn't happen again—or the general will be hearing about it." The Wingly woman tapped the soldier's breastplate with her index finger to emphasize her point. The soldier heaved a sigh of relief, he bowed low. "Thank you milady."

"Come, Lloyd will be quite upset if he learns where you are and what you've been doing." Sophie hastily led Albereth through the park and along several teleporters till they reached a quaint looking house with a small flower patch by the front. The blonde assumed it was Sophie's house but he was still too shaken to say anything.

"Come in, come in... it's absolutely freezing out there. I cannot believe you would try to escape on a day like this! Lloyd will have a fit." Sophie pulled off her cloak and led Albereth to the living room where a fire instantly sprang to life in the fireplace. The blonde took a seat beside her on the couch, simply thankful for her warm gloved hands on his and the comforting warmth from the fire.

"L-lady Sophie, I cannot thank you enough.. and I... I didn't try to escape." Albereth breathed. "Master, he... he gave me this." Cold fingers brushed the pendant that rested against his throat. "He told me I could go out if I wished... I just wanted to visit you... or—or to find him.. I didn't want to be left alone at home..." The blonde bowed his head, shy at his sudden revelation.

He was surprised as arms wrapped around him in a gentle embrace. Albereth leaned into the warmth—it seemed so long ago that he had received such tenderness. "You are quite the child... truly, you are." Sophie's soft voice sounded comforting to his ears and he leaned his head on a slight shoulder and closed his eyes. They shared the embrace for a while before the Wingly got up to get some hot cocoa. "It will do you good, I can see that you're already half-frozen." She had added with her tinkling laugh.

She came back with a steaming hot mug and handed it to Albereth, who took it with a smile—he felt much better in this cozy living room with Lady Sophie to keep him company. "It was pure luck that I ran into you when I did, a little later and you could have ended up with more than just a bruise." Sophie began as she laid a now gloveless hand on his swollen cheek. A strange warmth emanated from Sophie's fingers and the swelling felt like it was going down a little bit. "Magic?" The blonde asked softly, the Wingly only replied with a smile. "I can make the swelling go down, but I cannot hide the bruise—such a nasty thing on such a pretty face." She clicked her tongue in dismay.

"I'll live, I have had worse—much worse. I was a warrior, back home..." Albereth felt a deep sorrow in his chest when he began talking about his home... he missed it terribly and couldn't help wondering how everyone was after Lloyd's last campaign. "Yes, I know you are quite a fighter... but the general owns you now—and he will want to know what happened." The human frowned, he had not thought about that. "I don't believe the general would care so much about me, I am only his slave. Slaves get beaten all the time and I am sure they get bruises and cuts often."

"Ordinary slaves yes, but you are his only one. He may not show it, but I believe he has taken quite a liking to you. It would no doubt explain why he has given you his seal." Sophie talked more to herself than Albereth. "But enough of that, tell me why you were looking for me... you could have just asked Lloyd to call upon me. It is not safe for a human to be walking around Kadessa without a master."

"I just wished to talk to someone... I am—quite lonely." Albereth felt foolish, but it was the truth. Yes, the general had been kind as far as a Wingly was concerned, but he was cold and unyielding and they did not talk much. Sophie smiled, "as am I young human, as am I. Speak freely, I am willing to listen. And if you are interested, I have my own stories to tell."

They told stories of home, family, childhood memories, hobbies, and very little about the war. "But what of love...?" Albereth had asked, a question that made the Wingly pause slightly. There was a tense silence that followed, and the blonde wondered if he had said something wrong.

"It is said that Winglies are like fireflies. There is but one mate for every Wingly, two beings fated to spend the rest of their lives together." Sophie's voice sounded distant and melancholy, it made Albereth feel sad. The blonde made a small sound as if to speak, but he stopped himself, thinking that the Wingly was going to continue. Instead, Sophie gave a small laugh, "stupid isn't it? How our lives depend on finding the one."

"No, I think it is... very romantic." Albereth really thought so, he never thought that Winglies had such tenderness in their nature. The platinum-haired lady looked away and when she spoke, her voice wavered slightly. "I will tell you a secret Albereth, only because I like you. Do you know what happens to fireflies when they don't find the one?" The blonde shook his head but said nothing. "Should they fail to find the one, they wait and linger till their lights burn out. Winglies are the same—if we do not die by sword, we die by heartbreak... by the deep sorrow of knowing that we will never be complete."

Finally, the tears came and Sophie let them fall down her porcelain cheeks. Albereth gathered her in his arms and offered whatever comfort his embrace could give. He knew little of love but he knew a lot of sorrow, and so he just held the Wingly in his arms until her shivering subsided. "Milady... may I ask. Is this love—is this love the reason why you told me that you were not afraid of death? Is it this love that has killed you long ago?"

"You are a smart boy Albereth... he would have liked to meet you." Sophie's words were punctuated by soft sobs. "I am sorry for weeping like this, it has been so long since I had talked about him." "I would like to hear more of him... if you do not mind speaking of him to me." Albereth offered and Sophie was only happy to oblige.

Hours passed and many stories amidst laughter were exchanged between human and Wingly—neither noticing that night had descended upon Kadessa.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

"Milady! Milady!" Adriana entered the living room with a distraught look upon her face. "Adriana, have I not told you that when we are at home, you may call me mother?" Sophie put a hand on the girl's arm. "Now why is it that you are distressed?"

"Forgive me for my intrusion mother, but... but the general is here—and he is quite upset... I am frightened." The black haired girl whispered, careful not to alarm Albereth. Cobalt eyes grew wide, she had completely forgotten that Lloyd was bound to look for his human. Sophie quickly got up and motioned for Adriana to keep the blonde company as she gathered her skirts and left to meet the general.

"What's wrong? Is anything the matter Adriana?" Albereth asked, eyes wide with concern. Adriana forced a smile and reassured him that everything was alright and that Lady Sophie would handle it. However, no sooner had she spoken, that the sound of heavy footfalls could be heard on the wooden floor leading to the living room. In seconds, the teleporter beamed and Sophie appeared, the tall Wingly general standing beside her.

Albereth's heart plummeted to his stomach, he had completely forgotten to go home at supper time. He stood up clumsily, almost knocking over the lamp that stood beside the couch. "M-master, I am very sorry for not coming home... I-I truly apologize." The blonde looked down in shame and fear, he did not have the heart to look at the general.

"Oh Lloyd, please do not be harsh on the boy... if anything, it was my fault for keeping him here. He was merely being polite and kept me good company." Sophie kept a hand on the general's arm as he strode to wear his human stood. Adriana quickly bowed and left the room quickly—the mere presence of the Wingly general obviously terrified her.

"I thank you for your hospitality Sophie, but we must get going." Lloyd's reply was clipped, and the Wingly woman was suddenly afraid for the boy. "We take our leave, goodnight." With a formal nod, the general and Albereth disappeared in a beam of light. Sophie sighed, she truly wished that Lloyd would not hurt the blonde.

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The journey home was silent, Albereth struggled to keep up with Lloyd's long strides, the grip on his wrist felt almost painful. He wanted to say something—anything to make everything better, but he knew the general was upset with him so Albereth chose to hold his tongue. The snow clung to his lips and the cold stung his cheeks making the bruise on his left cheek throb again. "M-master please—I can't keep up."

To the blonde's surprise, the Wingly abruptly stopped that Albereth accidentally ran up against his back—knocking him backward. "I could have lost you today, I hope you realize that." Lloyd's low voice could be heard over the howling wind, releasing his grip on Albereth's wrist. The blonde shook his head, the hood of his cloak falling back. "Lady Sophie was there... I am al—"

"But what if she wasn't. She will not always be there. I—I will not... we shall talk more at home." Lloyd took Albereth's impossibly cold bare hand in his and continued walking—not giving the blonde the chance to speak before they reached his home.

Upon entering the house, Albereth immediately reached for the general's cloak and removed it, dusting the snow from it before hanging it up near the front door. He did the same to his own cloak and followed Lloyd who had wordlessly entered the drawing room, an unspoken command for him to follow hung in the air.

Albereth beamed into the drawing room, keeping his head low—trying his best to hide the large bruise on his cheek. "Have a seat Albereth." Lloyd motioned to the space beside him on the couch which the blonde took rather stiffly, head still bowed low. "I am really sorry Master... I just lost my way—I just... I just wanted to find Lady Sophie—or—or you... I didn't want to be left alone again." Albereth's tongue stumbled on itself as the words just spilled out of his mouth.

The general lifted a hand and Albereth flinched, expecting a backhand, but none came. Lloyd brushed the snow off the man's golden hair and unconsciously let his fingers slip between the blonde strands. "You could have just asked me to take you..." Lloyd said firmly as his fingers slowly made their way to Albereth's chin. The blonde's breath caught in his throat as the general lifted his chin and he found himself unable to look away from the Wingly's piercing cerulean eyes. Albereth's cheeks flushed a healthy pink, but he was unable to hide his embarrassment.

Silver brows furrowed as the general's eyes rested on the bluish bruise on Albereth's flushed cheek. "What happened?" Lloyd's voice was dangerously low as he traced the bruise lightly with slender fingers. Albereth shook his head, forcing himself to look away. "Nothing sir... I—I uh... ran into a tree..." The blonde wanted to punch himself, but he could not bring himself to think of anything better—not while his master's gaze remained fixed at him as they were now.

Lloyd brought his face dangerously close to Albereth's, their foreheads nearly touching—the Wingly's breath ghosting over the human's trembling lips. "Have I not told you Albereth, that you are a terrible liar?" The blonde couldn't think straight, the general's fingers on his cheek and his face too close to his own made his stomach churn. The room suddenly felt like it was sweltering hot in the middle of winter and he wanted to move as far as possible from the general. An unfamiliar feeling crept up Albereth's spine as he swallowed the lump forming in his throat.

On the other hand, the general could not, for the life of him, stop himself. There had been this incessant burning feeling inside of him since the first night he had taken the human home. It was as if a gaping hole had opened in his chest and he suddenly felt so empty. There seemed to be no escape from the feeling of emptiness and he began to lose sleep over it. That was until Albereth came to his chambers one morning and had asked if he needed help getting dressed. He had obliged because he felt too tired from lack of sleep—but with the boy so close to him as he tied the vest closed—it was as if the hungering void in the general's chest was sated, at least for a while. And now the feeling burned in Lloyd's chest, it pushed him forward—willing him to close the distance between him and Albereth, and he could barely stop himself.

The feeling of a hand on his chest brought Lloyd back to reality, and he looked down to where the hand rested. He pulled his head back and rested his head on one hand, as if he was nursing a headache. In fact the general was beginning to get one at that moment. Lloyd cleared his throat and straightened his composure before he spoke, "You should know that I do not believe you, but I have more important things to discuss with you. I am to leave Kadessa for a while, perhaps a month, as I have my duties to attend to." At this, Albereth's head shot up, brown eyes wide with apprehension. The thought of being left alone for an extended period of time gripped his chest and he involuntarily held on to the general's forearm a little too tightly. "Master please... please do not go." The blonde's voice sounded weak even to his own ears.

Lloyd looked at the hand which rested on his arm and, without thinking, he covered it with his much larger one. "You know that I cannot stay." Albereth bit his lip. "Please, take me with you." The general shook his head as he cupped the blonde's face in his hands with uncharacteristic tenderness. "Do not make this harder Albereth, I will return. I will come back to you." The blonde shook his head angrily, and he clung to the genera's vest almost in desperation.

"No! Please, take me with you. Master, I do not want to be alone again... please do not leave me behind..." Tears. Hot tears spattered Lloyd's hands and he had to look away. The whole situation felt so strange to him, the dull ache in his chest seemed more painful now. "Albereth—"

"Master, I wish to stay with you—please, I beg you to keep me by your side." The blonde was desperate, fingers clutching the leather vest as if his life dependent on it. Auburn eyes pleaded with cerulean ones. Lloyd bowed his head... _Soa, why do the fates toy with me so_. It was against his better judgment, it was beyond his logic, and it made no sense to him why he should agree—but he did. The Wingly rested his forehead on Albereth's own and sighed softly.

"You will be the death of me Albereth."

Not understanding what the general meant, Albereth raised his head, "Do you mean..."

"Yes Albereth, I shall take you with me." Lloyd finished for him.

Before Albereth could stop himself, he had already embraced the general in a sudden surge of emotion. He wrapped his arms shameless around the general's torso, catching the Wingly by surprise. It was a careless move, but at that moment, Albereth did not care. All he knew that he was not to be left alone—and that he was allowed to stay with Lloyd, to revel in this warmth when he was fortunate enough.

Lloyd sat motionless for a moment, unsure of how he was supposed to react. To be embraced by a human was not entirely unpleasant, though it was peculiar. However, the gaping void in his chest suddenly felt as if it had been filled somewhat—a feeling of relief washed over him, as if a great burden was lifted from his chest. He let his fingers idly slide themselves into Albereth's golden mane, wondering how it was possible for a human to possess such a fine feature.

"There is a price that you must pay, however, if you wish to join me..." Lloyd trailed off, his voice hushed as he trailed his fingers slowly to Albereth's parted lips. The blonde's eyes widened but he did not move away, though he was confused at what was happening. "I do not have anything sir..."

The general's lips curved into a small smile before he slipped his hand behind Albereth's head and closed the distance between them. The blonde's brown eyes went impossibly wide as he felt the general kiss him, his fingers curled tighter in the fabric of the Wingly's vest. Lloyd pressed his lips tentatively against the blonde's, almost smiling at the awkwardness of the boy as he tried to mimic the general's actions. Brown eyes slid closed and for a short moment, Lloyd allowed himself to enjoy the feel of soft, warm lips against his own before he pulled away.

Lloyd brushed his platinum hair back as he stood up abruptly. "That will suffice as payment." He cupped Albereth's face with one hand and brushed a thumb over a flushed cheek. "At least for now."

Albereth raised tentative fingers to his lips which still tingled with the unfamiliar but pleasant feeling, and he smiled.

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Reviews, comments, and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. :)


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